Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-05-15


If my machine had been success-if
didn't have to go back an old man
and empty-handedl"
"Wbat was your machine, Brown ?"
Tho Doctor had been running over the
file he held and had stopped at some
item that seemed to interest him.
at was something for harvesting and
binding grain, | answered carelessly,
for there was nothing in the world |
cared less for just then than my inven-
ton. /" II ran like fun, but everybody
was laughing at it. OF course it was a
f2zle. | myself con see now that 1t
could have been improved. But, my
Lord. what's the use OF talking about 1T
now "
"Simply because I've run across
something that concerns you. Look
here" he said.
There, among lot Of personal no.
tees. was something that read about
like this
"The sudden and shocking death OF
Mr.. James Brown at the time OF tho
recent explosion at the State fair In
Smaftsyille has tho elements of dou-
bic tragedy. He had spent four years
of unwearyiDg labor on the invention
Of machine for harvesting grain,
which was generally looked upon
az utterly chimerical, and on which
he had spent his entire capital. On
the DAY of his funeral the machine was
tested by competent judges and pro
nouncod complete success. A lead
ing manufacturing firm have made
oye1tures to his widow, and it is under
stood that they have offered large
sum for the use of the patent.
"Why, Mr.. Brown, said the Doctor
cheeriully Il noticed that he used the
Mr.. from that momenD, "all you have
to do is to return home like the prOdi-
Gal son, to be welcomed aud feted and
rejoiced over.
Stupid and slow-witted as / am at
best, ! knew better than the Doctor
Who would hold jubilee over the re-
surrcction of man who had never
been favorite, never of any account
in the world, and who had only found
luck in going out of it? Even when
the Doctor wrote on and found that
Jane and the children were still
living, and that the widow had
never married again, and had
nsught but good to say of me, l
felt no courage to go back. The widow.
Do you know what it is to come to
yourself after years of worse than OBJ
iivion and find yourself q dead man,
piouslv laid to rest and buried i'll the
memory of your friends and family ?
70 be a gbost-a dcsolate, wretched
Ghost, of no kin to the next world or to
this, caring nothing for new friends,
and afraid to go back to the old Who
would not be better off with six feet OF
clay above them?
/ should never have had the courage
totrv it if it had not been for the Doctor.
| He cheered me up and urged me, and
finally got me down TO the depot and
aboard the cars, with my ticket in my
hand. BE gave me something elsa
small paper parcel, looking away as he
laid it on the seat beside me.
I'VE found it in your pocket when
You came to US he said.
knew what it was IS quickly as |
laid eyes on it. The shoes for littlt
| Ellie. 1t did ne good TO hold them,
for it seemed a link between the pretty
dazzling and me, but it weakened me
uLaccountaily all the same.
had a little plan Of my own that !
DIDN'T coniiGe to the Doctor. meant
TO happen in upon her as a stranger
gnd sound them. like, myself. for ] was
| sure She would never l.DOy me. Then
I should be sure. Ii | found that she
was content and happy without me,
that life ran on smoothly and my com
iEg would be break in any way there
would never be any resurrection, but
jim Brown would remain as dead rs if
he were really laid away in the little
graveyard.
] stopped there on my way out from
town. Somehow it seemed to me /
wanted to 60 there first. 1t was easy
to find the place. There beside my
dear old mothers grave was another
mound, and on it lay fading wreath
Of flowers.
The sight of them helrtened me up.
4 strange thing, you will think, for
man to be chccred by the sight of
flowers lying on his own grave, and ho
himself alive and well beside 1t. But
it told me something more. 1t told
me that in somebody's heart love and
memory We're still living, that some
body held me III tender remembrance.
A plain white shaft marked tho
grave. One thingabout it puzzled me.